Multiple shot fastening gun

ABSTRACT

A gun-type manually operable tool for driving fastening elements, such as nails, into a work piece. The tool comprises a driving means including spring-loaded ram means movable through a series of arming strokes and firing shots to drive the fastener into the work piece. The tool is constructed to accomplish at least two driving shots for each fastener using a ram having multiple driving surfaces which are positioned by the fastening element and by cam arrangements to accomplish at least two driving shots.

United States Patent [1 1 1 111 3,923,228 Leff et al. Dec. 2, 1975MULTIPLE SHOT FASTENING GUN [75] Inventors: Martin Left, New York; PaulPrimary """"""*Q Custer Olesen Belmorea both of Attorney, Agent, orF1rmPenn1e & Edmonds [73] Assignee: ISQWQngIme, Inc., Long Island City,ABSTRACT A gun-type manually operable tool for driving fasten- [22]Flled' July 1974 ing elements, such as nails, into a work piece. Thetool [21] Appl. No.: 493,169 comprises a driving means includingspring-loaded ram means movable through a series of arming strokes andfiring shots to drive the fastener into the work [2?] piece The tool isConstructed to accomplish at least 132 two driving shots for eachfastener using a ram having I I 0 care multiple driving surfaces whichare positioned by the fastening element and by cam arrangements toaccom- [56] UNITE g S :?;S g:3rENTS plish at least two driving shots.3,758,016 9 1973 Olney ct al. 227 132 3 Claims 13 Drawing Figures -U.S.Patent M21975 sheetlofs 3,923,228

US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 2 of5 3,923,228

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US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,923,228

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US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 FIG. 9

1 MULTIPLE SHOT FASTENING GUN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Spring powerednail guns have been proposed and used to drive fasteners including thetype of gun disclosed in U.S. Patent application No. 438,168 filed Jan.30, 1974 and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The gun of the present invention includes a mechanism permitting the gunto be loaded and fired to provide for two or more driving shots by thehammer element. This improvement permits fastening to be accomplishedwhere greater driving forces and energies are required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1- is a side elevational viewofthe gun; and FIG. 1A is a front elevational view of the gun;

FIG. 2' is a sectioned side elevationalview of the gun with handleraised; and FIG. 2A is a sectioned front elevational view of the gun inthat position;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned elevational view with handle lowered during armingof the firing mechanism; and FIG. 3A is a front elevational view of thegun in that position;

FIG. 4 and 4A show the gun after completion of the first driving stroke;

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the ram raised for the second stroke;

FIG. 6 shows the ram descending during the second stroke;

FIG. 7 shows the nail after driving is complete;

FIG. 8 shows a group of nails lined up forfeeding by the magazine to thedriving station; and

FIG. 9 shows the spring which urges the driver blade in a clockwisemanner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2, afastening element driving tool constructed according to the presentinvention comprises a frame indicated generally by reference numeral 10.The frame 10, which includes a gripping handle 3 as shown, supports ahousing for the operating components of the tool. The housing includesmagazine 1 and sheath 2. A cover 4 for magazine 1 is pivotally securedto the rear end of the frame by hinge pin 5. The cover 4 is swingable,upon release of cover latch 6, about hinge pin 5 to expose, for purposesof loading, the magazine-type fastening element feeding means containedwithin magazine. This feeding means is operable to successively feedindividual fastening elements one at a time to the driving station ofthe tool which is indicated generally be reference numeral 7. Sheath 2houses the component parts of a selectively operable fastening elementdriving means which, upon activation, acts to drive a waiting fasteningelement situated at the driving station out of the tool and into a workpiece.

The forwardend portion 8 of the frame supports a specially constructedactuating means for operating the driving means. The actuating meansincludes, as shown in FIGS. land 2, an actuator arm 9 pivotallyconnected to frame 10 by hinge pin 11 and spring biased toward its openposition (FIG. 2) by arm 22a of torsion spring 22 as shownin FIG. 3. Theactuatingmeans further includes a specially constructed linkage meansresponsive to the actuator trigger which acts to cockand fire thedriving means. The linkage means will also be described more fullybelow. As shown arm 9 carries at its forward end a hand guard 12 whichis also mountdon hinge pin 11 and fixed in place relative to arm 9 byrivet means as indicated in FIG. 2.

For the purpose of locking the arm 9 in the fully closed or lockedposition shown in FIG. 1, a trigger latch 13 pivotally secured to theforward end 8 of gripping handle 3 by hinge pin 14 is provided. Triggerlatch 13 is provided with a thumb rest 15 for the purpose of permittingconvenient rotation thereof to thereby permit pivotal movement of arm 9to its open or unlocked position. To release arm 9, it is helpful todepress it slightly from its locked position as shown in FIG. 1 in thedirection of arrow 16. Such movement it will be recognized slightlyseparates contacting locking surfaces 17 and 18 of arm 9 and latch 13,respectively, to provide enough clearance between these locking surfacespermitting easy release of the trigger. Similarly, it is helpful, forpurposes of releasing cover 4, to depress cover 4 slightly from itsclosed position as shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of arrow 21. Thismovement provides sufficient clearance between locking surfaces 19, 20on cover 4 and cover latch 6, respectively, to permit latch 6 to beeasily pivoted from its locked position to its open position (asindicated by arrow 21 in FIG. 1) thereby separating locking surfaces 19,20 to allow cover 4 to be swung open. Trigger latch 13, on the otherhand, is held securely in its locked position with its locking surface18 engaging locking surface 17 of trigger 9 by force of engagementbetween these locking surfaces created by arm 22a of torsion spring 22biasing the trigger 9 toward its open position. Thus trigger 9 is safelyprevented from flying accidently into open position when the tool is notbeing used.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the driving means contained withinhousing sheath 2 includes an elongated hollow ram member 25 which ismounted for selective cyclical movement between two longitudinallyspaced apart positions within sheath 2 for each driving shot. In one ofthese positions, ram 25 is situated in the lower portion of sheath 2 asshown in FIG. 2 and 2A. In the other position, ram 25 is situated in theupper portion of sheath 2 as shown in FIG. 3. As will be more fullyexplained below in that portion of the description which described theoperation of the tool upon multiple shot hammering of a nail the ram 25is moved through two or more complete cycles. Each cycle includes rammovement from its initial rest position shown in FIG. 2 upward to thefiring position shown in FIG. 3 (such upward movement representing theupstroke of the cycle) and then down again to its rest position shown inFIG. 4 (such downward movement representing the downstroke of thecycle). Rearwardly facing wall 250 of ram 25 is equipped with ashearformed lifting lug 25d which moves within thru-slotway 39 formed inthe rear wall 2d of sheath 2 during the upstroke and downstroke of theram.

Connected to the ram 25 for movement therewith is a driver blade 26. Thedriver blade 26 is secured to ram 25 by spaced shearformed lugs 27 whichare received in spaced openings 28 in driver blade 26. Blade 26 iscapable of swinging or pivoting in relation to ram 25 about axesparallel to the longitudinal axis of the row of nails to be driven (FIG.8). The driver blade 26 has two driving surfaces, one notched surface 30is formed at the base of tongue 29 and the other is surface 290 formedon the flat end of tongue 29. During the first downstroke or shotsurface 30 is brought into contact with the head 30a of a nail 30b to bedriven (FIG. 3A)..

The driver blade 26 and connected ram 25 are guided within sheath 2 by aslide-way defined by shearformed guide detents 31 projecting inwardlyfrom the front wall 2a of sheath 2 on opposite sides of driver blade 26as best shown in FIG. 2A. The blade 26 is further guided by lip 33,sheath protrusion 34, by nail 30b and by surfaces 35 and 36 toaccomplish driving the nail during the first and second shots. Theposition of the fastener determines which blade driving surface, 29a or30, will be guided against the end of the fastner to drive the fastenerinto the work piece.

For the purpose of enabling ram 25 and driver blade 26 to undergodownward movement with sufficient force to drive nail 30b out of thetool with sufficient force to move it a distance down into a work piece,a composite compression spring 32 is provided. As shown, this spring isdisposed withinbore 25a of ram 25 with one of its ends resting on thebottom plate 25b of ram 25 and with its other end abutting the top plate2b of sheath 2. An inwardly protruding boss 20 is carried by the topplate 2b of sheath 2 for the purpose of retaining spring 32 aligned inbore 25a of ram 25. With this construction, it will be recognized thatthe ram 25 and thus driver blade 26 are biased toward the drivingstation 7 of the tool.

For the purpose of cocking the ram (i.e., lifting it to firing position)and releasing it so that it may be moved forcefully downward under theforce exerted upon it by compression spring 32 an actuating means,previously mentioned, is provided. The actuating means comprises trigger9 and a linkage means operatively connected between ram 25 and trigger9. The linkage means comprises a ram lifter member 42, a pivotallymounted lever link 40 and a special cam-cam follower means. The link 40is pivotally mounted at a point approximately midway along its.length onstationary link pin 41 to define two arms 40a and 40b situated on eitherside of link pin 41. The ram lifter 42 pivotally mounted on the forwardend of lever arm 40a for movement therewith by pin 43. Linkage 50connects trigger 9 and link 40. As shown one arm of spring 22 engagesthe latch 6 for cover 4 and the other arm engages the plate 51. Spring22 is therefore operative to bias the cover latch 6 in the lockedposition shown in FIG. 1 and to urge rotation of link 40 about pin 41 ina counter clockwise direction (as viewed in the drawings) thus movingtrigger 9 into the open position and ram lifter 42 into a positionadjacent ram stop 47 and buffer 47a.

One arm of spring 23 engages cam plate 51 and the other arm engageslifter plate 42a on ram lifter 42. With this arrangement the ram lifterplate is urged into engagement with the lifting lug on the ram. Spring23 insures that this engagement is maintained during the upstroke orarming stroke of the ram until such time as these two members aredisengaged by the coaction of cam surface 42b of ram lifter 42 with thetrigger hinge pin 11 (FIG. 3).

In operation of the gun, the trigger latch 13 is depressed as previouslydescribed freeing the trigger 9 which will be automatically moved to theopen position shown in FIG. 2 by the action of arm 22a of spring 22.With this movement of the trigger 9, the various component parts of thelinkage means assume the postion shown in FIG. 2 wherein it will benoted that the ram lifting plate 42a on ram lifter 42 is disposed incontact with rarn lifting lug 25d and ram 25 which is in its lowermostposition resting against the shock absorbing buffer pad 47a supported byram stop 47. To arm and fire the tool the operator depresses trigger 9to move it toward its closed position adjacent gripping portion 3 of theframe. This movement causes movement of linkage 50 to in turn pivot link40 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) causing ram lifter 42to thereby lift the ram 25 and connected driver blade 26 to the positionshown in FIG. 3 just prior to the completion of the arming stroke. Asthis position is reached, the cam surface 42b of ram lifter 42 isbrought into engagement with hinge pin 11 thereby causing clockwisemovement of ram lifter 42 relative to link 40 away from ram 25. Thismovement, as continued, causes disengagement of the ram lifting plate 42a and the ram lifting lug 25d thus releasing the ram for downwardmovement (i.e., the firing shot) toward the driving station under theforce exerted by compression spring 32.

As blade 26 descends blade lip 33 rides on sheath protrusion 34 to guideside 36 of tongue 29 along the side of the nail to be driven. Upon blade26 further descending surface 30 engages nail head 30a to break the nailoff the nest of nails (see FIG. 8) in the magazine and to drive the naila substantial distance into the work piece. Upon completion of thisfirst shot, the nail is positioned partially driven as shown in FIG. 4A.To complete the driving of the nail, the gun is again cocked by theoperator raising the ram member 25 and releasing it for downwardmovement as shown in FIGS. 5-7. During the second downstroke, the lowerportion of the blade 26 is able to swing to the left as lip 33 andsheath protrusion 34 disengage since the upper part of the nail is notin a position to engage tongue side 36 to prevent such swingingmovement. The blade 26 is biased in a clockwise direction by spring 37(FIG. 9) which has end 46 engaging the edge of the blade. As verticalblade surface 35 rides along sheath protrusion 34 during further descentof blade 26 (FIG. 3), tongue 29 is caused to strike and thereby finishdriving the nail in the second and final stroke.

After the driving of one nail, the magazine delivers to the drivingstation the next nail in the strip. The driving operation is then readyto be repeated.

We claim:

1. A tool for driving a fastening element into a work piece comprising:

a. a frame including a ram housing;

b. magazine means mounted on the frame for feeding sequentially aplurality of fastening elementsto a driving station;

c. spring loaded ram means mounted in the housing on the frame formovement through multiple arming strokes against the force of the springin a direction away from the driving station and through successivefiring shots back toward the driving station under the force of thespring into driving contact with a waiting fastening element situated atthe driving station;

. movable means engageable with the ram means for advancing the rammeans through the arming stroke;

e. release means for effecting disengagement between the ram means andthe movable means upon completion of the arming stroke;

f. driving blade means having at least two fastening element drivingsurfaces said blade means being pivotably attached to the ram means; and

g. guide means associated with said housing engageable with the drivingblade means to guide the first of said driving surfaces against thefastening element to complete a first driving shot driving the fasteningelement through a hole in the stapler housing and to guide the second ofsaid blade surfaces against the fastening element in a successivedriving shot to thereby drive the fastening element further into a workpiece.

2. The tool in accordance with claim 1 in which the driving bladeincludes a tongue engageable with the fastening element to be driven toguide the first blade driving surface positioned adjacent the upper partof the tongue into contact with the fastening element and in which thesecond driving element surface is below the first driving surface sothat the fastening element is driven further in the work during thesecond stroke of the blade.

3. A tool in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guide meanscomprises:

a. spring means for urging said pivotally mounted driving blade meanstoward a wall of the housing of the tool;

b. abutment means associated with said housing located adjacent saidhole;

c. engagement means on said first driving surface for engaging the topof said fastening element;

d. tongue means for engaging the side of said fastencam means associatedwith said housing for guiding said driving blade means, as said drivingblade means is urged toward said cam means, along a path along whichsaid second driving surface engages the top of said fastening elementduring successive strokes to drive said fastener further into a the workpiece.

1. A tool for driving a fastening element into a work piece comprising:a. a frame including a ram housing; b. magazine means mounted on theframe for feeding sequentially a plurality of fastening elements to adriving station; c. spring loaded ram means mounted in the housing onthe frame for movement through multiple arming strokes against the forceof the spring in a direction away from the driving station and throughsuccessive firing shots back toward the driving station under the forceof the spring into driving contact with a waiting fastening elementsituated at the driving station; d. movable means engageable with theram means for advancing the ram means through the arming stroke; e.release means for effecting disengagement between the ram means and themovable means upon completion of the arming stroke; f. driving blademeans having at least two fastening element driving surfaces said blademeans being pivotably attached to the ram means; and g. guide meansassociated with said housing engageable with the driving blade means toguide the first of said driving surfaces against the fastening elementto complete a first driving shot driving the fastening element through ahole in the stapler housing and to guide the second of said bladesurfaces against the fastening element in a successive driving shot tothereby drive the fastening element further into a work piece.
 2. Thetool in accordance with claim 1 in which the driving blade includes atongue engageable with the fastening element to be driven to guide thefirst blade driving surface positioned adjacent the upper part of thetongue into contact with the fastening element and in which the seconddriving element surface is below the first driving surface so that thefastening element is driven further in the work during the second strokeof the blade.
 3. A tool in accordance with claim 1, wherein said guidemeans comprises: a. spring means for urging said pivotally mounteddriving blade means toward a wall of the housing of the tool; b.abutment means associated with said housing located adjacent said hole;c. engagement means on said first driving surface for engaging the topof said fastening element; d. tongue means for engaging the side of saidfasteNing element, said fastening element being positioned before beingdriven in position with said tongue adjacent its side and said abutmentadjacent its opposite side, said driving blade being dimensioned andconfigured to engage the top of said fastener element with saidengagement means, one side of the fastener element with said tonguemeans and urge the fastener element against said abutment to guide saidfastener element through the hole into the work piece as the drivingblade means is advanced; and e. cam means associated with said housingfor guiding said driving blade means, as said driving blade means isurged toward said cam means, along a path along which said seconddriving surface engages the top of said fastening element duringsuccessive strokes to drive said fastener further into the work piece.